Protest against author Rowling held near Harry Potter store in London — Rolling Stone

In London, United Kingdom, supporters of transgender rights held a protest at the opening of a new Harry Potter store on Oxford Street. Demonstrators gathered on November 4, when the multistorey store, covering more than 20,000 square feet, drew a significant number of shoppers, Rolling Stone reports.

Protesters’ slogans

Participants in the action held signs calling for the protection of transgender lives and for an end to funding the erasure of their identities. Their grievances concerned not the store’s merchandise, but the position of Joanne Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series, on transgender people.

Rolling Stone writes that Rowling welcomed rulings stating that transgender women should not be recognized as women under the UK Equality Act. According to the outlet, these rulings became possible thanks to the For Women Scotland campaign, to which the writer donated £70,000 in 2024.

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Statement by an action participant

A transgender activist named West told Variety that it was important for transgender people to be present outside the flagship store and express their position. According to him, Rowling’s influence on transgender rights is significant, and store visitors may not realize this.

Nearly two dozen people took part in the protest, and they were outnumbered by shoppers. West also said that at the height of the franchise’s popularity, it would have been impossible to get close to the store, and expressed the view that Harry Potter is losing popularity.